


Life's a Game

by SarkaS



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, Dimension Travel, Don’t copy to another site, Feels, Getting Together, Jesse is a a bit broken by his past, M/M, Peapod McHanzo Week, Team as Family, alternative title: from their universe to our and back again, but then again who of them isn't?, oh boy was I wrong, this was supposed to be a fun trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 02:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17295881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarkaS/pseuds/SarkaS
Summary: Have you ever thought about how it would look if the Overwatch character learned about their lives being nothing more than a video game and their stories nothing more than entertainment? Well, now you have a chance to see my take on it.When the mission goes to hell in a handbasket, Symmetra's impromptu improvement to her teleporter makes their escape somewhat more effective than expected. Now the team needs to get through the fifth anniversary of Overwatch game at Blizzcon and figure out what the hell happened to them in the first place.---Umm, this grew up to be quite the behemoth. I swore to myself all of these will be only short stories but here we are. Anyway, I had to cut this into two chapters.Chapter one for the day 2 prompt: AU.And chapter two is day 3 prompt: Secret Admirer.





	1. There

“We cannot stay here! Our position is compromised, we are outnumbered, and the possibility of civilian casualties is too high!” Hanzo yelled over the noise of gunfire, as his comm was no longer functioning; the high-grade tech was still susceptible to damage when half a ton of debris falls onto it, who would have thought. 

“I have to agree with the archer,” McCree’s voice reached him somewhere from his left. “We just lost our only way in.” The sound of an explosion interrupted him. Hanzo’s ears rang with it and it took everything in him not to cover them. “We also just lost our way out.”

A curse came from somewhere above Hanzo where Genji was covering the remaining high ground. 

“All agents, to me!” Symmetra’s voice called out. It would be a risky move under any other circumstances but then again, this whole operation was a risky move. It was supposed to be a stealth mission that would grant their heavy hitters a path into the former Blackwatch now Talon compound. The team composition made them strong assault force but also an easily targeted one. They had no shields to protect them and with only Mercy as their support, everyone had to be careful not to get hurt. In theory, it should have been perfectly possible, especially with McCree on their side, who was closely familiar with the compound as a former Blackwatch agent. From what Hanzo understood, this place was the original Blackwatch headquarters before they were moved to Switzerland. It was also before Genji joined them, as his brother knew of it only in passing, lacking the critical knowledge that made McCree leader of this mission. 

“We have incoming, loves, better hurry it up. Whatever it is you have planned.” Tracer blinked past him and in the direction where Symmetra and Mercy were stationed. 

“Alright, ya heard her Shimadas, move it,” McCree hollered, two shots from Peacekeeper closely following. “I’ll cover for ya.”

Genji landed behind Hanzo, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Come, brother. You do not wish to anger our commanding officer.” His voice rang with suppressed laughter as if they weren’t retreating from a butchered mission. Hanzo just grunted in lieu of a reply and did as he was told. Three more shots rang as they made their way to where Symmetra was hastily working on something Hanzo could not discern. He did not bother anyway, instead, he put his bow up and covered McCree who appeared in the open just a few seconds later. 

Hanzo took down two bold Talon agents who thought to get a drop on McCree from above; arrows piercing their uncovered throats. What foolishly designed armors. 

“Thanks, darlin’.” McCree winked at him as he joined them in the cover. The usually vibrant red of his serape was coated in dust, indicating he was way too close for comfort to the building when it collapsed. 

Hanzo swept his gaze over him for any sign of injury but it looked like McCree’s devil’s luck was as strong as ever. 

“What now?” he asked, unbalanced by the now almost familiar wash of worry for the cowboy. 

McCree turned from him to their resident architech. “Ya got something for us, Symmetra?” 

It was Mercy who replied, pausing in checking Genji over. “Satya found something she thinks can boost her teleporter to get us far enough.”

“How far?”

“If my calculations are correct,”  _ and they are _ , went unspoken, “Los Angeles.”

Trace whistled. “That’s quite the distance from here. You sure?”

“I do not know all the properties of this element but its power enhancement is astonishing,” Symmetra said, while her hands never paused in their work. The silence that rang in the wake of her words made her huff in annoyance. “Yes, I am sure.” 

“Well, good enough for me. Anytime yer ready, Sym.” She spared a fraction of a second to glare at him for the nickname and he grinned. Hanzo rolled his eyes. 

“Do not aggravate our only hope of safe escape, McCree.”

McCree mimed a betrayal at his words, his hand pressing to his chest. 

“Words hurt, Shimada.”

Hanzo was not impressed. “Not as much as arrows do.”

“Okay!” Mercy jumped in before the banter could escalate into a full-fledged ribbing battle. “You two were closest to the collapse, let me look at you before she finishes.” But before she could do just that, Symmetra made a satisfied noise and with several fluid gestures and a shimmer of blue light, a teleporter materialized in front of them. The first thing Hanzo noticed was its color. The usual icy blue was gone, replaced by a cold lilac shade that made him turn a questioning gaze to Symmetra. 

“The color is of no consequence, it is the same shade of the element. Now hurry, I do not know how long it will hold.”

That did not give much confidence to Hanzo but they were out of time now. Bullets chipped at the rubble they were hiding behind. 

“Alright, one after the other, go,” McCree ordered and gestured to Genji and Mercy who were closest to it. The ninja nodded and guided Mercy through before she could protest by appealing to their sensibilities and the lack of proper protocol. Hanzo cringed at the thought of using something they only knew little about but as he had no other solution he kept silent. Symmetra went through just as the first Talon agent appeared from behind the rubble. He fell to an arrow in the neck like his compatriots. The two behind him to McCree’s bullets. They backed towards the teleport. Only they and Tracer were left now. 

“Come on, guys,” she prompted and jumped through. 

“Go,” Hanzo prompted, looking for the next agent foolish enough to come for them. McCree chuckled. 

“After you, darlin’.”

Hanzo scowled, not looking away. 

“McCree.”

Something pulled at the back of his kyudo-gi with enough force to make him stumble backward. 

“I must insist, archer.” McCree stepped in front of him, covering him and blocking his view. “Get goin’!”

Hanzo growled but arguing with the pig-headed cowboy would be stupid right now and so he did as he was told and stepped through the teleport. A sound of a shot followed him. It did not come from Peacekeeper. 

He did not manage to hide his panic fast enough; from the faces that looked at him as he emerged from the teleporter, it was more than clear. 

“Brother-” Genji took a step towards him, hand raising but Hanzo turned on his heal to face the device, the purple tinned oval of energy rippling almost imperceptibly. For a length of a single breath there was nothing and then Jesse McCree leaped out of it and straight into Hanzo, making them both stumble. It was Genji who made sure they did not end up on a heap on the ground. 

The device closed and Symetra dropped her hand with a satisfied hum. 

“All okay?” McCree asked but before anyone could answer, Hanzo pushed him from him with all the anger he managed to build in the last minute and a half. It was an impressive amount if he said so himself. 

“That was stupid! Do not repeat that ever again!” He hissed in agitation like the dragons that crawled under his skin. 

McCree raised his hands, Peacekeeper still dangling on his finger. 

“Calm down there, sweetheart. Nothing bad happened.”

“It could have!”

“Aww, were you worried about lil old me?” The cowboy had the gal to grin at him. Hanzo clenched his fists. 

“You are a  _ fool _ , Jesse McCree.” He hissed instead and turned his back to the cowboy. It did not help, as now he could see Tracer smirking at them, Mercy’s exasperated expression and the curious tilt of his brothers helmeted head. He could feel the warmth crawling up the back of his neck and that aggravated him even more. “Did we arrived where we supposed to?” He asked in an attempt to divert everyone’s attention. Luckily they were professional or kind enough to allow it. 

Mercy frowned, tapping at her comm. “I think mine is damaged as well, I get only static and cannot confirm our position.” The remaining agents still with their comms tried as well with similar results. That was annoying. 

“Guess, it’s a good old legwork for us.” They all looked at McCree in disbelief. Looking like they were now? They would be a center of attention immediately, he most of all with his bounty. “If this is LA, it’s bound to be written in least twelve places in this block alone,” he rolled his eyes at them. 

 

They managed to walk exactly two streets before they were recognized. 

“Hey, it’s Mercy! Wow!” Someone across the street hollered. “Looking amazing!” A group of what looked like young adults in capes gestured thumbs up before they continued on their way, completely oblivious to the shocked agents they were leaving behind. 

“I-” Mercy started and then did not finish, clearly at loss for words. 

McCree was first to break the shocked silence. “Well, they ain’t wrong?” 

Mercy swatted at him and then quickly jumped to the side when a giant purple cat-person walked past, giving her a finger salute in thanks. 

“Umm.” Was all McCree had to say now. 

Hanzo looked around and noticed there were many people around them and quite a lot of them walking in the same direction. And some of them seemed to be clad in what could only be described as costumes. 

“Genji,” he turned to his brother. “Do you think this could be-”

“A convention.” His brother’s voice sounded several tiers more excited than it should be. But the confirmation was more important right now. They might be in luck. 

“Convention?” McCree asked. “Like one of those things Hana gets invitations to?” 

“Yeah!” Tracer whooped. “Those are fun I hear.”

“We are on a mission!” Symmetra hissed at her, appalled. To the surprise of everyone except Genji, Hanzo raised his hand to stop her. 

“This is good. If I’m not mistaken there could be quite the number of people in costumes of all sorts. We could blend into the crowd more easily.” 

A pause. “...you want to go to a convention?” McCree asked, confused plainly written in his face. 

Hanzo rolled his eyes, sending a silent prayer to the  _ kami _ . “No. I wish to use the crown to move easily without rousing suspicion until we find somewhere we could contact Winston.”

“Oh.” Did McCree sound disappointed? 

“And you believe that will work? We could be still recognized.” 

That was a valid point but Hanzo recalled one particularly awkward moment when Genji burst into his room at Watchpoint to push a tablet into Hanzo’s face while excitedly yelling something about fans. 

“I know about at least two instances that someone deemed it wise to dress up as my brother on such conventions, as he so kindly shared with me.” He gave the preening Genji a look and it took everything in him not to roll his eyes again. He would end up with a headache soon if he were to indulge every single time. 

“Really? Huh,” McCree hummed, tapping his lower lip with a gloved finger. Hanzo was most certainly not staring. 

“What, Jesse? Thinking if someone ever dressed like you?” Traces snickered and McCree tried to make a mocking grimace but failed, his cheeks tinged pink. 

“‘S a valid concern. They could be hurt!” He protested but no one really believed it was just that. 

Instead, they agreed to give it a try, even bewildered Symmetra and Mercy, simply for the lack of a better plan. 

The crowd accepted them easily enough and they traveled naturally in the direction most headed in. It did not take long for a huge convention centre to block their view. At the top was a banner with big blocky ‘Blizzcon’ on it. It did not sound familiar to Hanzo and from the lack of excitement neither it did to Genji. 

The only problem was when they tried to separate themselves from the crowd but in the end, they managed. Making their way around and to the back of the building. With this many people around there was bound to be something they could use to contact the Watchpoint. 

“Well, that went better than exp-”

“Oh, finally!” A loud voice interrupted McCree mid sentence. It was a short thin woman, with light hair and a dark headset on, scowling fiercely at them. 

“What?” Mercy asked, caught off guard by being accosted so suddenly by a stranger.

“You are late! You should have been getting ready for the stage by now. Now, please if you would follow me.” She gestured for them to head inside the center. 

“Um, miss, I think there’d been a mistake.”

She glared. “Yes, I can see that. We ordered Widowmaker, not Symmetra; but we are out of time now so please move inside, we can discuss it later.”

With that, she gestured to the security guarding the back entrance. Hanzo was about to protest but McCree hissed “do it” just loud enough for them to hear and despite his trepidation, Hanzo decided to listen. The woman led the way and McCree bent to whisper. “There is no way we could get in otherwise and there is a chance we can get hands on some phone or tablet to contact Winston.”

“They will discover us and then we will get to trouble,” hissed Mercy. “And what was that about Widowmaker. Why did these people expect us in the first place?” 

“No idea. But how better figure it out than play along for the time being?”

“This could be a trap.” Genji pointed out but McCree just shrugged. 

“Then it’s the weirdest trap I’ve ever seen. They had no idea we would even be here. By all accounts, we were two states over twenty minutes ago. I think they were expecting some of them costumed folks like we met on our way here.”

That… did make some little sense, Hanzo supposed. Still, he did not like it. 

They were led down a narrow hallway into what looked like impromptu backstage. 

“Okay,” the woman whirled around gesturing at them. “I;ve let them know about the blunder, so they won't be calling you out one by one. Instead, you will go all together and stay at the back of the stage. Just don't get into the way of the presenter, he’s in a bad mood today. The presentation yesterday didn’t go as well as expected and there is pressure from up high. So just stay back, stay in character, occasionally wave or something. I'll tell you more after the screening.”

Her headset flickered and her hand flew up to it. 

“Yeah, we good here. Two minutes. Copy. I’ll send them up.”

Hanzo glared and McCree who looked mildly regretful now. But there was little they could do without raising an alarm. 

They followed the direction and walked out on the stage, stiff and uncomfortable. Even Tracer looked like she wished to be anywhere but there. 

The noise was deafening. He couldn’t quite see over the lights pointed at them but still, he was able to take it the sea of people, yelling and cheering. Flashes of cameras making him scrunch up his nose in displeasure. Hanzo would make McCree pay for this stupid idea. The cowboy next to him stopped and turned to the crowd, hesitating then tipping his hat. Hanzo flinched at the loudness of the response. There were now people screaming McCree’s name with utter abandon. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to not appear as uncomfortable as he was feeling. 

The response, to his shock, was instantaneous. He couldn’t help but gape at his name being screamed now as well. And so were the names of the others. 

The utter storm that unleashed when Genji, being the last one appearing, took his place in the lineup was utterly ridiculous. Hanzo could distinctly hear a marriage proposal being yelled from the throng of people. And of course, his brother took to the stage best of them all, shooting the crowd a cheeky salute. 

After them, a dark-haired man wearing thick-framed glasses came up, clearly enjoying his welcome much more than they did. Waving and greeting the people with smiles and jokes. 

Hanzo did not really listen, scanning instead the all the angles where possible attackers could hide. He hoped McCree was right about this not being a trap but he wouldn’t take any chances. 

“...your votes, we have prepared Top 5 cinematic trailers for you to enjoy tonight. It is only thanks to you we can now celebrate the five-year anniversary of Overwatch! Truly, our success is your doing, so please enjoy!” 

With that, the light cut off and the many screens around the arena lit up with a red number 5 and… an animated movie? 

Hanzo was confused. The first image was of a jukebox followed by shots of a dinner. It looked familiar to him and it was the muffled curse from his right that confirmed it. 

“What the hell,” McCree breathed as the camera panned from different details of the establishment to details of what could only be McCree himself. 

They watched as the man on the screens walked out and confronted who they knew to be the current leader of the Deadlock, Ashe. 

“How?” McCree hissed next to him. “How can they know this?” 

Hanzo couldn’t help at the over the top western vibe the unbelievable movie was emanating. It made McCree into a caricature of what he was, which was in all honesty also a caricature in many ways. The animation style was not helping. It was somewhat bizarre. But next to him the cowboy was not so amused. 

“This actually happened?” Hanzo asked through the corner of his mouth. 

McCree growled, the sound drowned by the shootout on the screens. “Yeah. Yeah, it happened.”

Hanzo considered that, watching as McCree disposed of the whole group with what could only be called an excellent shooting. And so he said so. The cowboy huffed, still clearly put out by seeing his life on the screen like this. 

“Thanks.” He said finally in a gruff tone Hanzo was unused to. 

On the screen, Echo opened her eyes and next to Hanzo Mercy made a chocked up sound. 

Then she reached over Hanzo and put a hand on McCree’s arm. “It was you.”

The cowboy huffed again but didn’t dislodge himself. 

“‘S not a big deal.”

“Not a big- Jesse!” 

Hanzo decided to intervene. “Not here,” he hissed at their resident doctor and she acquiesced after a split second of hesitation pulled back. 

They watched the exchange on the screen and McCree riding away on the stolen hoverbike, letting Echo go back to the Overwatch alone. Hanzo was not part of the organization back then but he knew McCree re-joined shortly before Hanzo arrived. It brought quite a lot of questions he knew McCree would hate to be asked to his mind. Quickly the amusement the short movie prompted in him dissipated and guilt seeped in. All of a sudden it felt like a violation. And from McCree’s stiff posture, it was. 

A yellowish number four flashed on the screens, followed by a forest scene, with a yellow bird flitting around. 

It took him an embarrassingly long to realize he knew this exact bird. Ganymede. 

They all watched Bastions awakening with rapture. After the violence of McCree’s past, it felt wondrously peaceful. It was all the more shocking then when Hanzo watched what could only be described as a flashback occur. He could hear his brother's silent curse and Tracer’s gasp at the sudden devastation and fear in the omnics posture as he looked around his destroyed surroundings. 

Yet again, the feeling of violation bubbled in Hanzo’s throat. 

This should not be happening. No one should know this. And if they did, it should not be entertainment. What was this? Were they forced forward in time? Did the augmented teleporter interact in some way with Tracer’s device? Something like this happened after the fall of the old Overwatch; holovids of the past deeds and life stories were often made and screened on occasion. But these were no holovids. 

In fact, since when they started using these thick screens again? 

“Never realized how damn important the bird was,” McCree murmured beside him, and Hanzo had to agree. They all accepted and welcomed the strange pair when Torbjorn brought them in. But no one thought much of the bird. Why would they? 

A number three flashed, this time in white. 

The dread Hanzo felt grew as they went through moments of Winston protecting all agents’ data from a Talon attack and instigating the recall. And then as Widowmaker appeared. To have an insight into Talon’s best sniper felt nearly as wrong as seeing Winston’s childhood memories. 

He heard Tracer whimper, a sound he did not believe she could make with her ever-optimistic attitude. He peeked around Mercy and Symmetra to see her clutching at Genji’s arm. 

At the screens above them, Tekhartha Mondatta fell and the lights on his forehead went out with a flicker. 

“This is fucked up,” McCree growled. Hanzo could feel the tension radiating from the gunslinger. 

As the face of Widomaker disappeared in the dark Hanzo did not have to look, he knew Genji was hugging Tracer now, an unintelligible stream of soothing words reminding Hanzo of a static more than a human voice. Someone in the audience cooed. 

It took all the restraint he possessed to stay rooted in the spot. McCree next to him sneered, audibly gritting his teeth even over the dying music from the speakers. 

Hanzo almost did not look in time to see the last number glow in a mix of electric green and blue. The dread peaking in a crescendo of panic. The lilting music and the art style just solidifying the terror clogging his lungs. 

His mind blanked at the voice of his father spreading through the arena.

Genji’s gasp was almost as loud as the screaming whiteness in Hanzo’s head. 

Please. 

Please, not this. They couldn’t have made entertainment from the worst mistake of his life. That would be too twisted.

Hanzo wasn’t sure from where he gathered the strength to look up. But seeing himself not that much younger than he’s now brought a relief that made his knees buckle. 

He watched himself made his way into the courtyard of the Shimada castle, quickly and efficiently disposing of the guards stationed at the gate. 

“Clean work,” McCree murmured next to him but Hanzo could not react, instead he listened to his father’s retelling of the family legend. The dragons depicted in the dojo reenacting the story of his life. Their lives. 

For only now he saw the silhouette of his brother against the night sky, following him into the castle. How foolish of him, not paying attention. If that had been anyone else, he would be long dead. 

As they all focused on the Hanzo in front of the bloodied tapestry, he could feel something moving past his back, smelled a whiff of stale smoke from the brand of cigar McCree preferred, the warmth always radiating from the man; and he knew there was a hand hovering just a few centimeters from his back. He did not know what he would do if McCree finished the gesture. 

He could not- With this many people- 

The feeling disappeared and McCree next to him sighed. Hanzo let out a silent breath. 

Genji on the screen confronted him and Hanzo winced. He did not know who the cyborg was at the time but watching them fight now made his gut twist in revulsion. 

He heard Mercy’s exclamation “Mein Gott!” as Genji deflected the dragons and they surrounded Hanzo. He could recall the searing pain as they kept attacking in their disorientation, only their bond to him preventing them from making any permanent or serious harm. But it left him dazed and weak. And so utterly confused. 

To watch their conversation now, Hanzo could not remember it going that way. He remembered shock, relief, betrayal, anger. And hope. Something he hadn’t felt for all of the ten years before that. 

His own distrustful reaction was making him angry now. To know his brother was alive in front of him yet still to point an arrow at him. But at the time, he had not trusted the hope. An infuriating ruse was more probable. 

As the screens darkened the people all around them boomed with cheers, their hollering startling him. 

“Alright, alright! This is what you voted for, folks. The top five Overwatch cinematic trailers and I, for one, am not surprised by the number one! Let me hear it, where all the Hanzo mains at???” 

A substantial portion of people waved their hands in the air. The man laughed. 

“And you all switch to healers when it’s needed, don’t you?” More screams of assent. “I knew that. You guys are no trolls.”

A hand on his shoulder startled Hanzo. Genji was there, visor glowing bright green, the other hand outstretched towards him.

And this time Hanzo did not hesitate to take it, crowds be dammed. 

There was more screaming but he could ignore it a bit easier with his brother physically anchoring him in the moment. He let out a long breath. 

“This is the worst mission ever.”

Genji chuckled. “Come one now. Worse than the first time you had to take me on a clan negotiation.”

Hanzo winced. He recalled that fiasco. They were still banned from that particular casino. 

“Worst. Ever.”

“Alright.” Genji acquiesced. He waved few times to the crowd that was now again focusing on them and the presenter. The others, all still visibly shaken, seemed to come to their senses enough to play the roles - whatever those were supposed to be. 

Hanzo did not listen to the man anymore, he had enough. Instead, he leaned over to the others. 

“We have to get some device and try to find out what is this place.”

“And contact Winston.” Tracer peeped up. 

Hanzo did not share his, admittedly whacky, theory about time travel but doubted there would be any Winston to contact here. But they could try. Maybe they will be lucky. For the first time today. 

 

As they followed the man out of the stage several moments and a lot of waving later, the harried looking woman with a headset was waiting for them.  

“Okay, that went well. Good job, guys. Now, go mingle.”

“I beg your pardon?” McCree asked and she frowned at him. 

“Go greet the fans.” Their bank faces must have been too much because she gritted her teeth. “I knew we should have gone with the cosplayers instead of damn actors. Do you at least know your lines?”

“There’s no need to be rude!” Tracer jumped in and the woman gave a satisfied nod. 

“Nice, almost like the real Tracer, good. Now, please, spread amongst the fans, take pictures, entertain them. You know,  _ do your job _ ,” she emphasized, then pushed a button on the headset. “Yes, I know! They will be out in a second, we are on schedule, don’t worry.” She looked back to them. “Someone will keep an eye on you in case people start to harass you beyond reason. Other then that, you are on your own for the next two hours. Then meet me back here, for the final ceremony. Now go!”

They took the chance they were given and headed out of the backstage through a small unassuming door that had a ‘staff only’ sign on the outside of it. 

“I-” tracer started, then fell silent. Several seconds ticked by before she tried again. “I don’t know what to think about this. It’s so surreal. It’s like we are not real to them.”

Mercy nodded, her brows creased in displeasure. Or distress. Hanzo was not well versed in her facial expressions, not even after two years with the team. 

He contemplated sharing his thought on the matter but decided against it. “We should hurry and find a way to try and contact Watchpoint.”

McCree made a sound as if remembering something and then pulled something from his pocket. It looked like a bulky version of a holophone. 

“Where did you get that?” Symmetra asked, taking it gingerly into her hand. 

McCree shrugged. “Swiped it of the guy with glasses.”

The architech made a scandalized face at that, while Genji snickered patting McCree’s shoulder. “Nice one. Can we get into it?” 

“It seems to be secured with a password, give me a few moments.” They all automatically made a wall of bodies around their working teammate. Whatever this was, no one needed to see her work with her hardlight technology. 

It took about four minutes before she made a noise of satisfaction and handed it over to Tracer, who automatically put in the correct number for emergencies. They should have no problem getting connected to Athena, who would create a secure connection between them and the Watchpoint. 

The look on Tracer’s face did not speak of success, however. She pulled the phone from her ear, making a face at it. 

“It says the number doesn’t exist.”

“Can you access the internet from it?”

Tracer tried and nodded. 

“Put in Overwatch.”

She gave him a puzzled look. And he gestured impatiently. “Do it, please.” 

The please did it. He did not use it often and his teammates learned quickly to not dally if he did. 

Several taps later, she gasped. “There’s nothing! Well, not nothing but all it has is some video game. Nothing about the  _ real _ Overwatch!” 

_ “Kuso!” _ The curse flew out of his mouth before he could even attempt to stop it. He was right, this wasn’t where they were supposed to be. Also, it ruled out time travel.  

“What do you mean there is nothing? You can’t erase that much information!” Mercy protested. 

“It is not erased-” Hanzo began in an audibly defeated tone. 

“-it never existed,” finished Symmetra, her eyes sparkling. “We knew. We knew it was not just a theory!” 

“What? Wait, what?” McCree flickered between them. “What are you two on about?”

“Parallel realities!” Symmetra said in a voice far too excited for the situation. Then she dug into the compartment in her arm where she kept all her tools and pulled out the vial of purple colored something. Hanzo could not discern if it was liquid or solid. 

“This is the sample I found in the briefcase in the rubble while we fought Talon. It made my teleporter several magnitudes more powerful but there was no information about it in the briefcase. I suspect it was being moved to or from the compound. If this indeed is what made us travel between the realities…” She let her voice fade as they all contemplated her words in silent horror. 

“Talon has this,” Tracer whispered. 

“And probably much more of it.” Symmetra nodded. 

Hanzo did not understand the words Mercy said next but he understood the tone. 

“We had no idea Talon has such weapon. They could invade other realities. Worlds that have no idea Talon exists.” Genji’s words painted a dark picture. McCree cursed. 

“We can’t do nothin’ if we are not back in our own reality.” He paused, probably trying to come to terms with the sentence he had just said. Hanzo sympathized. 

The sound of door closing startled them all. 

Symmetra hid the vial back in her arm as they started moving towards the main hallway. 

“We need to get out of here. Not just this world, this building.”

“You heard her, they will be keeping an eye on us.”

“So?”

“So, I don’t feel like making a scene. We need to get out of here quietly.”

“You have any ideas?” Genji asked him before McCree could say anything else. 

“Let us split into pairs, making our way like that will be less conspicuous. We can circle to the exit by pretending to be what they think we are, just greeting the fans.”

“I still can’t believe we aren’t more than characters in a video game here,” Tracer murmured. 

Hanzo tried very hard not to dwell on that. If he let himself fall down the rabbit hole he would be too distracted to be useful. They were still on a mission as far as he was concerned. 

Alas, his brother seemed to be of a different opinion. He pulled Hanzo back a little, lowering his head towards his ear.

“Anija, are you okay?”

What a loaded question, Hanzo thought but nodded. “I am fine. Are you?”

Genji did not reply immediately and that made Hanzo pause in his step and look up at him. When his brother sighed he stopped completely. 

“Genji?”

The cyborg turned to him but he was looking down, somewhere past Hanzo’s waist. “I think I have forgotten our father’s voice.”

Hanzo stared.

“I do remember his words. His actions. But hearing it today, it sounded foreign to me.”

What could he say to that? To himself that seemed unimaginable. The sound of his father’s voice was a near constant in his mind. Disparaging and reprimanding in equal measures. 

“Does it bother you?” he asked finally. 

“I do not know. I have some memories of the time we were children when he still occasionally acted like a father. But not many. And not as important as… other memories.” This time he did look at Hanzo. “You look a lot like he did.”

Hanzo knew that. Especially now that his undercut grew back in, the gray around his ears even more prominent. His feelings about it were complicated. 

“Does it bother you?” he had to ask again. But Genji shook his head with a chuckle. 

“You wear it better, aniki. Though I still think you are too young for grays. You are ruining our image.”

That made Hanzo roll his eyes. It was an old and well-rehearsed argument. 

“Come on!” McCree called before he could say more. “Move it you two!”

Instead, he patted Genji’s shoulder in a consoling gesture that felt appropriate. His brother was always the tactile one between the two of them and it took a lot from Hanzo to reacquaintance himself with it. But after two years of rebuilding it came to him easier than he would have thought. Still, it wasn't the same as when they were boys and he made his peace with it. Some things cannot be salvaged, no matter how much work one puts towards it. 

The others were waiting for them by the map of the complex, people milling around them, chattering excitedly as they headed for their destinations. Some pausing to look at the group, few even pulling out their bulky phones and snapping pictures. 

“Okay,” McCree said when they joined them. “We will head for this exit here.” He pointed at the map. “It’s closest to the parking lots and we can disappear there. Symmetra thinks she can reverse whatever she did to her teleporter to get us back but she will need time to do it. So, she and Mercy will take the direct route. The four of us will cover for them, that means attracting attention so they won’t be held up much. You three okay with that?” Genji and Tracer both nodded and Hanzo knew it was what they needed to do. So he acquiesced as well. 

“Alright. Genji, you and Tracer will take this route,” he guided his finger on the map alongside their trail near the resting area and food stands, then switched to a different one. “This one’s ours, I think it’s where the trinkets can be bought or something.” 

They all agreed and after that, there was no more hesitation. They had a plan now. It was better than what they had fifteen minutes ago. 

 

“Yer pretty quiet,” McCree said as another well-pleased fan hopped off with at least six photos of them with  _ and _ without her. 

“That is unusual?” 

McCree laughed. “Maybe not. But this is a different kind of quiet. Something on your mind?” 

Hanzo huffed. McCree knew very well there was bound to be a lot on all of their minds. That is what happens when one discovers multidimensional travel is possible. 

But he also knew that was not what McCree was asking about. 

“There never was an Omnic crisis in this world. There are no Omnics either. Can you imagine that?”

McCree shrugged. 

“‘am sure they have their own troubles. No world can be idyllic. Humans are too flawed fer that.”

Hanzo cocked an eyebrow at him. “How cynical of you.” He couldn’t stop the small smirk. 

“Nah. Just realistic. And you are deflecting.”

“Maybe,” Hanzo allowed, stopping as a group of youngsters in costumes approached. One of them had a vibrant green hair and orange scarf. Also, a paper katana strapped to his back. 

“Brother!” He called, throwing hands in the air in excitement. Hanzo realized he was indeed looking similar to how Genji had looked in their teenage years. The pang of pain was expected but no less sharp for it. 

“Genji,” he allowed, playing his role. Behind the young Genji was a girl dressed as Mei and… was that a really thin Reinhardt? 

“Oh wow. I’ve never seen cosplay this good!” The Mei gushed. “Or McCree this hot,” she added in a very un-Mei like manner. 

McCree just laughed, sparing a wink for her. 

“Now ain’t you a sweetheart. Thank ya kindly.” 

She blushed. Hanzo couldn’t help but roll his eyes. 

“Do not flatter him. His ego barely fits in here as it is.” 

“Ouch! So cruel, archer!” McCree presses a hand to his chest plate. Hanzo was unmoved. 

“Aww, you two are too cute together!” The Reinhardt of all people cooed and Hanzo startled. 

They were nothing of the sort!

“Right? I keep telling him but he just won’t budge!” McCree exclaimed and Hanzo wished he could punch him. 

The trio cooed some more and then asked for pictures. They obliged, Hanzo waiting just long enough for them to be out of earshot before turning to the cowboy. 

“That was in no way necessary!”

“Oh come on, Hanzo. You can’t say you didn’t notice.”

Hanzo did notice. He saw the pictures changing hands and heard the exclaims of joy when some people saw them side by side. These three weren’t even the first to imply Hanzo and McCree were in some sort of relationship. But that did not actually mean anything and he did not wish to consider the implications. Not more than he already did, anyway.

“It is different. To them we are just characters.”

McCree’s eyes bore into him. He could feel it as he avoided them, pinning his own gaze at the exit in the distance. 

He heard McCree murmur something under his breath but when nothing else came from the cowboy, he relaxed. 

 

By the time they got to the exit, they had been stopped innumerable times for photographs or just to be told their ‘costumes’ are splendid. They had encountered varieties of versions of other Overwatch agents, amongst which were particularly memorable cat Genji, female versions of both of them, pink Reaper that made McCree laugh to the point of tears, and slutty Soldier 76 that made McCree pale in horror and Hanzo consider a blunt force trauma as possibility for memories removal. It took them more than an hour to get throught the hall and they were both utterly exhausted by the forced human interaction. 

It felt heavenly to finally slip through the door and towards freedom. 

The underground parking lot they were supposed to meet in was not far and it took about four minutes of brisk walk to get there. Both Tracer and Genji and Mercy and Symmetra were already there. 

Hanzo raised his eyebrows at several items his brother was holding pressed to his chest. 

“Really, brother? Souvenirs?” 

Genji looked back at him unashamed and unapologetic. “These will all be one of a kind when we get back. And they were gifts!” 

Hanzo turned to Tracer, who just shrugged and grinned. Her mood seemed to improve quite a bit; she almost appeared to be in her usual good spirits. 

“How’s it lookin’?” McCree asked. 

“We are ready. Just waiting for you to get here.”

Hanzo looked at the purple-tinged teleporter in Symmetra’s hands. 

“You believe it will work?” he asked seriously, not becuase he doubted her abillities but because this was all guessing work. 

“I reversed it exactly. If our assumptions are correct there is no reason why it shouldn’t work.”

“That means we will end up right at the door of high alert Talon base, though,” McCree pointed out. 

“Well,” Tracer said, “At least we will know right away if it worked. And we got out of worse, so don’t you worry too much.”

Hanzo really had no more to add and so he just nodded and Symmetra activated it. 

This time, McCree was the first one through, and as always, Hanzo followed the foolish man. 


	2. And Back Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day 3 prompt: Secret Admirer

Jesse led many missions in his time with Blackwatch. Not all of them successful but that came with the territory. Not even Morrison had one hundred percent success rate. Not even Reyes. Things just don’t work that way. You win some, you lose some. And you learn to accept it; learn from it if you are smart enough. 

But this was the first time he came back with a team broken in a way so new and unique. And they were. 

Hell, he was. 

Handing over his report to Winston, the scientist let out a huff. “I will be honest with you. After reading the reports the team has handed in, I am not sure what to make of it.”

McCree snorted. “Welcome to the club. Anything new about the element?”

Winston shook his head in a rather defeated manner. “Plenty but nothing that makes any sense. Miss Vasvani is helping me but neither of us is expert on dimensional travel. I doubt one even exists.”

“Talon probably got someone.”

That soured the atmosphere even more. 

“Yes. They probably do. It makes the failed mission even bigger loss for us. There could be more about it in that compound.”

McCree shook his head. “Not anymore. They are too smart to keep it in there after we tried to get in. They’ll move it if they hadn’t already.” 

Winston took off his glasses then pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. McCree understood. This was a whole new level of bad and it felt too big for a ragtag group of vigilantes. Because that’s what they are. There wasn’t that many of them, plus they had little to no resources and the PETRAS act was still hanging above their heads. 

They were somewhat of a public secret nowadays and the only things keeping them from prison were several carefully hand-picked missions caught on tape and the public opinion leaning in their favor after they helped stop the Russian omnium, which halted the second omnic crisis in its tracks. 

It did not help matters they housed people like him, who were still wanted in certain parts of the world. Or all the parts - luckily no one knew about Bastion. 

Still, there was no one they could count on their side. Helix might be willing but they couldn’t afford to discredit the only security company they were sure wasn’t in Talon’s pocket. 

It made them all feel rather hopeless. 

The debriefing and the following meeting was one of the worst McCree had attended. And there were some real shit ones in his past. 

Winston sighed and put his glasses back. “I’ll ask Zarya if she would be willing to get in touch with her acquaintance that got us intel on the Maximillien business in Monaco. And we can monitor the compound. Athena?”

“I am already working with Echo on a surveillance network that will alert us if any of the known Talon associates is sighted within a hundred miles of the Tri-Cities compound.”

“Thank you, Athena.”

It wasn’t much but it was something, he guessed. 

Winston turned to him and his eyes softened. “Take a break, McCree. You all went through something unimaginable. It’s understandable you all need some time to compartmentalize.”

McCree tipped his hat up and flashed a smile at the gorilla. “Doncha worry about me, pardner. I’m doin’ just fine.” His smile slipped off rather fast as he asked the next question. “You spoke with Lena?” 

A pause long enough to give McCree all the answers he needed. “She is… copping,” Winston went with in the end. “I think Genji and Zenyatta are a big help, or so I gathered. She took it hard when it happened and being reminded of, and it in this way, well...” 

McCree felt for her. “It wasn’t her fault, Winston. There wasn’t a single thing she could have done except die and even that would only delay it.”

“I know that!” Winston growled angrily before wincing. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t worry, I get it.”

Winston looked so tired right now, McCree felt almost guilty for bringing it up. It reminded him what they saw in the other world. His fight to protect them from Talon. His unmasked loneliness. Good god, this was making him feel so much worse; he needed a stiff drink.

“As we are on the topic. Mercy’s report had mentioned something I wanted to talk to you about.” 

_ Dammit, Angela!  _ McCree thought. He should have left when he had the chance, what a rookie mistake! 

“Thank you.” Winston interrupted his inner tirade. McCree waited for a bit but nothing else came. 

“Um, yer welcome.” It came out sounding nearly as a question. Was he not going to ask why McCree chose not to join Echo? 

Winston chuckled. “That’ll be all. Go rest, cowboy.”

Relieved, McCree tipped his hat to him and get out of there as fast as possible without it coming off as rude. 

But he was still moving fast enough that when he collided with another body outside the door, they both ended up losing their balance and Jesse only so-so managed to twist them so he would be the one cushioning the fall. That meant he was now sitting on the floor with a pang in his ass and an armful of not so pleased assassin. 

Well, it wouldn’t be the first time. 

“McCree!”

“Hello there, darlin’. Fancy seein’ you here.”

Hanzo scowled at him before detangling himself from Jesse’s arms and pushing himself up. 

“Sorry about that,” McCree added a smidgen more sheepish. “Didn’t see you there, archer.”

“I noticed.”

“Well, yer in a mood today,” McCree grumbled but he guessed he couldn’t quite blame the man. In all honesty, Hanzo was about as much out of sorts as the rest of them. Well, except for Satya, she was far too excited about their discovery to be frazzled by something so mundane as a shift of paradigm. 

Hanzo dusted himself and picked the gourd McCree didn’t notice lying next to them. 

Ah. “You heading to the roof?” 

“Yes.” 

“...want maybe some company?” 

Hanzo peered up at him with narrowed eyes and Jesse tried his best not to show how much he wanted to hear a  _ yes _ . 

“Alright,” Hanzo allowed in the end, gesturing for the cowboy to follow. And follow he did. He hadn’t had much trouble with Hanzo’s brisk pace as his legs were longer but it gave him a hint about Hanzo’s state of mind. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one in a need of a drink today. 

They got up to the lower roof where they usually met for a drink. Normally it was a nice and sunny with one or two spots of shade for when it was too hot. Today the sky was overcast and the wind was tugging at Jesse’s serape. 

Hanzo waited for nothing; settling down and taking a long swing from the gourd. 

Jesse joined him a bit slower, leaving enough space between them as to not disturb Hanzo’s personal bubble but close enough he wouldn’t have to lean sideways to reach the bottle. 

As expected, Hanzo thrust the gourd at him not thirty seconds later. McCree took it with thanks and drank. 

Sake. No surprise there. And not even the good stuff. 

He waited before they exchanged the bottle a few times before asking. “Wanna talk ‘bout it?”

“Not particularly.” 

That’s fair. “Alright. Mind if we talk about something else?” 

Hanzo turned to him, head leaning slightly to one side. “About what?”

McCree chuckled humorlessly. “The shit creek we are paddlin’ up in.” 

Hanzo frowned in understanding. “Talon.”

“Talon,” Jesse nodded, reaching for the alcohol again. Hanzo parted with it without protests. “This is big, Hanzo. Maybe too big.”

The archer hummed. 

“I mean, we have no idea, none, about how far they are with it. They could be doing it by themselves, probably are. But look what Symmetra could do with it on the spot. If they join up with Vishkar?”

“Their rhetoric would fit well with it,” Hanzo allowed. And wasn’t that another kettle of fish altogether. 

“Yeah. I just-” He cut himself off. He hated himself for thinking this. But this felt too familiar. Last time he felt this trapped, this hopeless? He left Overwatch because of it. “This might be a bite too big for us to chew.”

Hanzo did not reply, instead, he stared at the dark sea on the horizon, huddling into himself as the wind picked up on strength and passed the gourd to Jesse in silence. McCree took it and drank. 

What the hell are they going to do?

 

When the knock on the door came McCree was, so to speak, knees deep in old reports. He asked Athena to get him all Blackwatch reports bound in some way to the Tri-Cities compound she could get her figurative hands on. He even suggested her, with no small amount of trepidation, to ask Morrison about it. After fours days she downloaded a hefty load of data on his personal tablet, yet it was only a fraction of the reports he hoped for. 

But he was not surprised she couldn’t get to them. They were either kept as evidence under air-tight locks or destroyed. Either way, he had to do with what she  _ could _ find. 

He meticulously combed through the pages upon pages, trying to find anything that could be useful to them but so far no luck. The only things he got from it so far were sore back and tired eyes. 

He very nearly ignored the door in favor of finishing the last report of the Reykjavik incident but then put it away and with a groan got up from the bed. 

When the door opened, no one was there. 

“What the-” He stuck his head out to look around but the short hallway in front of his room was empty. He wanted to go back in when he glanced down and noticed the tray of food. 

Chuckling, he picked it up, took it in and put it on the bed, pushing the tablet aside for the time being. It was a couple of thick sandwiches, apple, a bottle of water and next to it a steaming hot cup of coffee. Oh, and a small cup of red jello with a sticky note on it. 

_ Eat. Fool. _

He grinned at it. Guess a short break could do no harm. 

 

Jesse almost jumped out of his skin when a sneaky green cyborg ninja dropped out of nowhere right next to him. He coughed up half a lung trying the get the cigar smoke out. 

Genji next to him had the gal to laugh at him. 

“Whaddaya want, asshole?” Jesse asked eventually, snuffing out the rest of the cigar and tossing it into the bin next to him. He lost his taste for it. 

“So rude,” the ninja tutted and McCree scowled at him. The man was missing his helmet, his green hair sticking out in all directions as if he was running his fingers through it. “I have wanted to speak with you. Can’t I miss my best friend?” 

Jesse squinted at him.  _ “Whaddaya want?” _ He asked again, this time much more suspicious. 

Genji rolled his eyes. “I wished to ask you how you’ve been. We haven’t had much chance of speaking since-” 

Yeaah, that was true. But Jesse knew from Hanzo Genji was doing fine. He would’ve talked with the ninja if he suspected the man needed it. 

“I suppose we haven’t,” he allowed. “It’s been busy. I don’t think Winston slept at all in the past week.”

“I suspect you are right. But have you?” 

McCree laughed but when he looked around Genji’s expression was serious. “What? Do I look that terrible?” 

The slight hesitation made him internally wince. That would be a yes, then. 

“I am worried about you, Jesse. You have been spending most of your time in your room, going through the old reports - yes, Athena told me. I am not sure when was the last time you joined us for a meal.”

“Genji, I appreciate the concern but-”

“You stopped going to the shooting range with Hanzo.” Genji interrupted him in a deadpan tone. 

Oh. 

“This is important, Genji,” he tried again but less sure now. Damn, he didn’t even realize he missed the standing meet up on the training range he had with Hanzo. Was he at it that long?

“It is. I know it is. But you do not have to do it by yourself! Let us help, Jesse.”

He kicked the ground and sighed. “Ya can be real pain in the butt, ya know that?” he said to Genji but anyone could hear the fondness in his voice. The ninja certaily did as he flashed a bright grin at him. 

“I have been reliably informed, we both are.” 

Jesse snorted. He could guess who said that one. Jesse will have to find a way to make the missed training up to Hanzo. 

 

He found the archer sitting in the sun in a quiet part of Bastion’s garden where the omnic made a space for any visitors who would decide they wish to spend time there. It was a considerate thing to do and Hanzo took him up on the unspoken offer of quiet space rather often. 

Most of the time the omnic could be found puttering about, beeping softly at the plants and insects in there. This time it was only Hanzo there. 

“Howdy, pardner.” 

The archer did not move a muscle, his back straight and eyes closed, despite the fact he had to hear Jesse coming. The only thing moving was his hair and the golden ribbon holding them up. 

“McCree.”

He rubbed the back of his neck with his flesh hand. “I wanted to apologize. Fer ditching our practice.”

“You have been busy. I understand.” Hanzo’s tone was mild as if he was only half paying attention to him. Which was fair, Jesse supposed. 

“Maybe, um, I could make it up to ya?” 

This time the archer did move, turning his head to look at McCree. “What do you propose?” 

McCree smiled at him. “What would you say on a sparring session? I could do with some exercise.” 

Hanzo arched an eyebrow at him, his eyes falling lower before snapping back up. He nodded curtly. “Very well.” 

“Great! Let’s go then.”

“Right now?” Hanzo asked slightly startled. 

McCree grinned at him. “Why waste time?” 

They made their way to the gym where McCree already prepared the mats in hope of Hanzo saying yes. The archer gave him a look and Jesse just shrugged, unrepentant. 

He was already wearing his sparing clothes, only taking off his hat, so he gave Hanzo moment to take off his sweater and toe off his boots. For some reason, the archer preferred wearing his armored boots over something more comfortable, only scoffing when Jesse suggested it some months back. 

He caught himself lingering on parts of Hanzo’s body as the archer stretched before they got to the sparing itself. The way the muscles of his arms moved with the stretch, how the hem of the shirt rode up and revealed the waistband of his trousers but nothing more when he raised his arms, making McCree both grateful and regretful. 

It made him think about Hanzo shutting him down in that convention center. They didn't talk about it. Probably should have but didn’t. Hanzo seemed to chose to pretend that part of their mission never happened and Jesse didn't want to push. 

But ignoring it didn’t make it disappear. Especially, when they were spending time together one on one. 

“Ready?” Hanzo asked and McCree forced himself out of that particular headspace. Not the time, not the place. But damn if he didn’t wish it was. 

Only much later when they were both tired and sweating through their shirts, and he watched Hanzo take his things and head out of the gym to take a shower, he let himself consider maybe he should push. 

He bent to pick up his hat from where he left it but something shiny caught his attention. On the brim, there lay a small metal keychain. It was shaped like a speech bubble with text reading ‘It’s HIGH NOON somewhere in the world’ and it had what could only be a Peacekeeper next to it pointing up. 

And as much as the other world weirded him out, he couldn’t stop the pleased grin spreading on his face. He should  _ definitely _ push. 

 

He walked into the mess hall where the dinner was about to start, today courtesy of Lucio who promised them  _ feijoada _ . His great-grandfather's recipe. ‘Best in Rio, cowboy!’ Most of the agents were already there. 

He looked around, noticing Lena was one of the few missing ones. Probably on the phone with Emily. McCree hoped so, at least. He wished Emily could come down but she was halfway across the world and in the middle of a job. 

A loud, delighted noise caught his attention. At the table, Genji was showing Hana something that clearly excited her. 

“Oh em gee that is so cuuute!” 

Genji chuckled. “I know, right? I showed it to Master Zenyatta and he loved it.”

“Duh, look at him being all adorable and glowy! Man, how many stickers do you have?” 

“Sixteen. I lost count at the time, they just kept giving me stuff. Look at this.”

He pulled out from behind him a small green- was that a plush dragon?

The sound Hana made was more for dogs ears and McCree arched his eyebrows. 

“They really gave you all that stuff?” He asked in hope of being distracted from his own gloomy musings. 

“They did. Clearly, my costume was exceptional.” He was smirking behind that mask, McCree just knew it. “Oh! And look at this. It’s the best one.” He pulled out a small sticker with cartoony looking Hanzo that- wait. 

“Are those chicken legs?” McCree asked incredulously.  

Genji choked on a laugh, his shoulders shaking a little. “Absolutely.”

The whole thing was made in that over the top cutesy style, a wide-eyed Hanzo with honest to god chicken legs looking up at a row of text, ‘What is a leg day?’. 

Hana snorted. 

“Oh come on,” Jesse felt the need to defend the archer despite the urgent tugging in the corners of his mouth. “They aren’t that thin. Maybe his ankles are a bit delicate but not that bad.” 

They attracted some more attention now and even Lucio came over to look. 

“Oh man, this is great! Do you have some more?” 

Genji obliged, showing again what more he managed to squirrel away on their last mission. 

McCree stepped back with a shake of his head but he was smiling now. It was good to know at least some were able to shake the experience off. 

“It is good to see you smile again, my friend.” Zenyatta’s voice came from behind him. He turned to look at the floating omnic and gave a nod in greeting. 

“Looks like Genji’s doin’ well.”

Zenyatta hummed in agreement. “We had talked about what happened on your last mission.”

“You doin’ okay?” 

“I have come to terms with what happened to my brother. I mourn him still but unlike our future, past cannot be changed.”

McCree let out a breath. He wasn’t sure how Zenyatta helping Lena would impact the omnic. “Thank you. For helping Lena, I mean. Can’t be easy for ya.”

“To ease a friend’s pain is one of the few uncomplicated things in one’s life. Though not always easy, I will grant you that.”

“Yeah. You talked with the others as well?”

Zenyatta moved to be able to see around McCree; Genji was still laughing at something and now even Ana, Mei, and Fareeha joined in. Reinhardt took over the food, bringing the prepared dishes to the counter. 

“With some.” The monk turned to look at him. “Did you have someone particular in mind?” 

McCree tried to tell himself it was just the hot air coming from the kitchen that made him feel warmer. “Nah. Not really.”

Zenyatta hummed again and to Jesse, it sounded perfectly neutral. Which meant it was anything but. 

“How are  _ you _ feeling, McCree?”

“I suppose as well as can be expected. Not gonna lie, not too keen on the whole parallel universe thing. And even less on the traveling part.”

“Understandable. It is not an easy thing to accept.”

“Oh, I can accept it. Just not too happy what it could mean for us.”

“You believe us to be in danger?”

McCree scoffed. “Aren’t we always?”

Zenyatta nodded, looking down on his intertwined fingers. “I understand. We are to die then?”

“What? No!” McCree very nearly flailed. Where did this come from?

“It must be dire if it weighs so heavily on your mind. From what Genji told me, and from my own observations, you are not one to lose hope easily.”

“I never said it’s hopeless, just shitty, is all.” 

“Well then,” Zenyatta perked up next to him, looking at him with his head tilted to one side, “there is no need for you to worry so much. As you said yourself, it is not hopeless. You have beaten worse odds, haven’t you? As did many others here. Trust in our combined strengths, it is not only up to you alone.”

McCree stared. Did he- Had that sneaky omnic played him? He huffed out a laugh. “Well said, Master Zenyatta.” He tipped his hat to him. The omnic patted his shoulder in a consoling gesture and floated to the laughing group, leaving McCree to shake his head after him. 

Maybe he has a point. This wasn’t the old Overwatch. This time his family wasn’t turning against him.

 

Jesse stared into the fridge at the neatly packed plate of crepes with a sticky note saying ‘COWMAN’. He pulled them out, setting them on the counter next to it and starred some more. 

He’d been awake for twenty-six hours now and his brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders but that did very much look like the highly coveted crepes Ana made every once in a blue moon. 

He counted. There were four. 

Four delicious, succulent, jam-packed crepes. With his name on them. 

He kept staring.

“Alright, that’s it,” he huffed when his brain finally took in everything it could, then he forcibly overruled his stomach and put the plate back into the fridge, walking out of the kitchen, and heading straight for the shooting range. 

He could hear him before he saw him. The irregular sound of arrows hitting their marks as they appeared. It was too early for anyone else to be in the range so he didn’t even pause, just stepped right in. Walking towards Hanzo. 

“Ya know,” he said when he was close enough. “Yer doing it wrong.”

Hanzo turned to him with an incredulous expression. “I beg your pardon?” He let his arms drop a little. 

“It only works when you  _ don’t _ know who the secret admirer is.” 

Hanzo turned to him fully, putting one end of the bow on the ground and gripping the other end with both of his hands. He gave McCree a searching look. 

“It was not supposed to be a secret.”

Jesse’s heart did  _ not  _ make a celebratory somersault.  _ It did not. _

“What’s it supposed to be then?”

Hanzo’s forehead creased, his gaze flicking away before returning to Jesse’s face. “I may have spent some time thinking.”

Jesse was about to make a quip but Hanzo’s narrowed eyes shut his mouth right quick. The archer let out an exasperated sigh and Jesse grinned. Just a little. 

“You are impossible. And reckless, and loud, and stupidly self-sacrificial, with atrocious fashion sense.”

“Hey! I have a theme, ‘s different.” Jesse felt little stung but still, the grin wouldn’t go away.

Hanzo’s expression was wholly unimpressed but he continued. 

“But I think they were right. We are good together. Despite our flaws and our differences. I do care for you, Jesse.”

Jesse tried to swallow the lump in his throat. It took him two tries before he was confident enough to even try and speak, his voice rough. 

“Was hoping you would come around, darlin’. Didn’t expect it to happen this soon, though.” He crossed the remaining distance between them, putting one hand on Hanzo’s, pulling the bow out of the way and with the other raised Hanzo’s chin. The archer let him and wasn’t that a complete rush. 

The kiss was chaste and soft. Barely a promise. But it made warmth spread through Jesse from head to the tips of his toes. Hanzo huffed in dissatisfaction and Jesse couldn’t stop the laugh. Leaning in a pressing another, more substantial kiss to those lips. “Guess the mission wasn’t a complete failure.” 

In retrospect, he deserved that bite.

 

Five months later, when the team with the mission to bust Talon’s secret scientific department was boarding the Orca, Jesse had Hanzo at his side and his family at his back. 

They would be just fine. 


End file.
